sheet metal

[jjgmc]

How many of you think the sheet metal on the 99 and up chevys and gmcs is way too thin. The metal on the bottom of the box is like paper. The metal on my 87k10 was way thicker. kind of makes me mad when you spend this kind of money on a truck.

[RyanbabZ71]

yep

 

about a 5 mph crash

 

 

cost was $260 to fix

[Joel]

Thats the only thing I dont like about new rigs, the sheet metal around the bed is too weak. Not like the old chevy's. I think we know why its thin but why can't they compramise? Thin metal in places where it doesn't matter and thicker where it does.

I installed some tie downs on my bed rail and there is no way I could have done that with my old 98 dakota or a new chevy as the pull from the ropes would bend the rail badly. Also the bed is strong, hardly any dings and its a 74. Another hoot for thick metal.

 

Joel

[Jpshostr]

Today's trucks really have me disappointed in terms of their quality.  They just can't stand up to work off the nice flat paved road.  Sure, they may have these nice inflated power numbers, but what good do those do when you're hauling stuff off road and your sheet metal bends into awful shapes?  I completely blame all this stuff happening on the urban society getting into buying big trucks for no good reason at all other than they "Hey, look at me" factor.  The fact that GM says you can't use crossover toolboxes without adding their little brackets to the bed pretty well sums up the quality of the HD beds.

[DuckhunterInTN]

I think that one day we will see ads saying "New, Thicker Sheetmetal!!" instead of "New, More Horsepower!!".  At least I hope so.  I don't think that you could go with any thinner sheetmetal than what we have now on these trucks.  I mean it is THIN.  Just to see how weak it really is, just grab the lower portion of the fender behind the rear tire (above the exhaust pipe)  You could easily bend it with your hand.  I would gladly pay 1-2000 dollars more for a truck that had metal as thick as my 1972.

[MountaineerTom]

I completely blame all this stuff happening on the urban society getting into buying big trucks for no good reason at all other than they "Hey, look at me" factor.

I don't believe that.  If that were the case, why would they care, and how would many even know?  The toolbox/bed problem was/is definately an overlooked problem though.  Someone just wasn't thinking, I guess.

 

Just a way for GM, or any other manufacture, to save some money, I think.

 

Possibly for losing some weight to claim better MPG.

 

I do agree they are thin though.  ???

[Yont283]

I agree that they are thin and they suck! What do yall think about the new Pro-tech boxes for the Chevrolet? i wonder if they will bolt right onto the old trucks. Anybody know??  ???

[Yont283]

http://www.chevrolet.com/silverado/index.htm

 

check out the kid throwing that log right at that Z71!!!!!!

[DuckhunterInTN]

I actually saw a Pro-tec in person and wasn't too impressed.  I really wished I had gotten one of them until I saw it in person.  If you looked down the side of the truck the sides looked all wavy....kind of a predented look to it.  It was a black truck so that did make it worse.  I would be just as concerned about mounting a heavy (70lbs w/o toolbox) headache rack or a heavy toolbox on one of these plastic boxes, and the sides already looked dented, so I didn't really see what the advantage was.

[Yont283]

I have never seen one just read about them and they sounded pretty good. But i was thinking about a Saturn the whole time I read them!

[Yont283]

<------------check it out, I am a serious member!!  

[chevy4x4trucks]

After seeing a protec up close at the auto show I think the concept is right there, but it seemed really flimsy.  Don't get me wrong, I punched the side of the bed a few times just to check it out (followed by weird looks from other show-goers).  But, the bed side just seemed like it flexed way to much.  Would that stop me from buying one... Heck no.  IMO all GM vehicles should be like the saturn w/ the panels that don't dent.  

 

But, the reason that the S/M on all vehicles gets thinner is for production costs.  What's the easiest way to lower the price of a vehicle?  Cut production costs.